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LONDON (AP) — The Prince and Princess of Wales’ first foreign trip since the death of Queen Elizabeth II begins Wednesday, a chance to show the world more of who they are.
With their three-day visit to Boston focused on Prince William’s initiative to find a new generation of environmental entrepreneurs, complemented by trips to an anti-poverty program, child development researchers and local flood protection, the couple hopes to show that they are in this together. Not the last vestiges of a dying institution. Instead, Americans will see a young face A monarchy that wants to stay relevant in a modern, multicultural Britain is facing important issues.
The visit came less than three months after Elizabeth’s death, whose personal popularity moderated criticism of the crown during his 70-year reign. King Charles IIIWilliam’s father has made it clear that it will be a slimmed-down monarchy, with less pomp and ceremony than his predecessors.
“I think this is less about saving the planet and more about saving the royal family,” said Boston University professor Ariane Chernock, an expert on modern British history. “Frankly, we’ve seen Charles as king and his first months in that position were trying to find his way, to find a way to be a more coherent, more modern king. And I think we’ll see something similar happen with William and Kate.”
Part of that reset involves reclaiming the hearts and minds of the public in America, where William’s younger brother, Prince Harry, and sister-in-law, Meghan, dominate the media. Since moving to California in 2020. Harry and Meghan have criticized the royal family for alleged racism and insensitive behavior and have built their own media profiles by making films and podcasts for Netflix and Spotify.
Netflix series “The Crown” It has also revived some of the House of Windsor’s more troubled times, including the collapse of Charles’ marriage to William’s mother, the late Princess Diana, amid mutual accusations of infidelity.
But William and Kate are keen to tell a different story, about their work on environmental issues, mental health and early childhood education.
During a gala concert celebrating the Queen’s platinum jubilee in June, William gave a speech Her grandmother and father’s pioneering work on the environment is highlighted as images of forests and oceans are projected onto the walls of Buckingham Palace behind her.
Kate last week wrote an op-ed on the need to improve the lives of young children which was published in The Daily Telegraph, one of Britain’s most influential newspapers, along with a photo of the princess sitting cross-legged among a group of primary school pupils.
“Over the past 10 years, speaking to a wide range of experts about how we deal with social issues such as poor mental and physical health, I have become increasingly convinced of one thing: if we are going to build a healthier and happier society are For future generations, we must begin by understanding and acknowledging the unique importance of the first five years of life,” she wrote.
William and Kate’s last visit to the United States was in 2014, shortly after their wedding. During that trip, the glamorous young couple were honored as they toured the eastern US
Eight years later, now in their 40s and with three young children, the prince and princess are finally re-engaged.
President John F. The choice of Boston, Kennedy’s birthplace, because his destination is symbolic. Kennedy’s 1962 speech set the goal of putting men on the moon by the end of that decade, which inspired William’s Earthshot Prize.By this end the aim is to find solutions to climate change and other environmental problems.
The mission begins Wednesday, when William and Kate will meet with Boston Mayor Michelle Wu and the late president’s daughter, Caroline Kennedy, at the John F. Will visit the Kennedy Memorial Library and Museum.
Later in the week, he will visit Roca Inc., highlighting the racial equity group’s efforts to improve the lives of young people by addressing issues such as poverty, incarceration and trauma from urban violence. He will also visit Harvard University’s Center on the Developing Child, a leader in research into the long-term impact of early childhood experiences.
But throughout the trip, William will have his eye on the Earthshot prize.
By focusing specifically on the environment and climate change, the royals are likely to strike a nerve in the US, where many people still deny the existence of man-made global warming, said author, social commentator and Washington Post contributor Sally Quinn. was The Royals’ ability to shine a light on the issue and combine their fame with entertainers like Billie Eilish, who is set to headline the awards show, is likely to get people’s attention.
If nothing else, it will put a face to the issue and make it more understandable than the technical presentations of scientists, Quinn said.
“Obviously the media and the attention will be good, not just because they’re celebrities and because they’re royals, but because they’re serious people who care about the issues,” Quinn said. “I mean, they’re not wasted. They are not going to the party. They don’t dance on the table every night. They are really hardworking royals and these are the issues they care about.”
EarthShot is offering 1 million pounds ($1.2 million) in prizes to winners in five different categories: nature conservation, clean air, ocean revitalization, waste removal and climate change. The winners and all 15 finalists also get help scaling up their projects to meet global demand.
The winners will be announced on Friday at Boston’s MGM Music Hall as part of a glittering show headlined by Elish, Annie Lennox, Ellie Goulding and Chloe X Halle. The show will also feature videos narrated by naturalist David Attenborough and actor Cate Blanchett.
The BBC’s Clara Ampho and American actor-producer Daniel Dae Kim were chosen as co-hosts. Award presenters include actors Rami Malek, Kathryn O’Hara and Shailene Woodley.
The ceremony is scheduled to be broadcast on Sunday on the BBC in the UK, PBS in the US and Multichoice across Africa.
“We’re in this moment where there are so many possibilities for how the royal family envisions moving forward, and everyone really feels that Kate and William are the future of this institution,” Chernock said. “And so we have to look really carefully at the way they re-present themselves to the public, in Queen Elizabeth’s absence.”
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